Self-clenching tug-holder



No. 6|0,693. Patented Sept. 13, I898.

B. SCOTT &. W. S. BENTON. SELF CLENCHING TUG HOLDER.

(Application filed Jam (No Modei.)

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SELF-CLENCHING TUG -HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,693, dated September 13, 1898.

Application filed January 14, 1898. Serial No. 666,708. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it ntcty concern:

Be it known that we, BENTON SCOTT and WILLIAM S. BENTON, citizens of the United States, and residents of Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Olenching Tug-Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention consists in a curved leaf spring suitably secured to the whiffletree in such manner that the tug will slip over the end of the whiifletree and force the spring up, whereby the tug will pass under said spring. As soon as the tug has passed the curved end of the spring, the hook drops down over the tug and holds the same in place.

In the drawings, Figure l-is a front elevation of a whiffletree with our improvement attached. Fig. 2 is a detail of the same with the tug in section engaging the spring-hook.

1 represents the whiftletree, which may be of any approved construction.

2 is a flat steel spring of suitable length tapering from one end to the other. This spring at its outer end is curved downward and bent inward, as at 3, so that the inwardbent portion is at a slight angle with the plane of the top of the whiffletree. Preferably the outer end of this hook is a slight distance from the end of the whiifietree, whereby the tug may he slid partly over the end of the whiflietree before engaging with the springhook. The end of the tug is passed over the whiftletree and strikes the inward-bent por tion of the hook end of the spring, and upon shoving the tug farther upon the whiffletree the spring is forced upward out of its path; but as soon as the tug has passed beyond the inward-bent portion of the spring-hook such hook will immediately snap down upon the whiffletree. The tug is then pulled toward the end of the whiffietree, whereupon it slips over the inward-bentportion of the hook and forces the inward-bent portion of the hook 3 down flat upon the whiflietree, thereby clenching the hook upon the whiftletree, thus preventing accidental raising of said hook, and thereby securely fastening the tug to the whiftletree. It is not necessary to slide the tug back into the hook, as the natural tendency of tugs is, when strain is put upon them, to slide toward the end of the hook again. Thus, owing to the peculiar shape of the hook end, the tug will automatically slide within such hook, thereby locking the hook down upon the sin gletree.

Owing to the portion 3 of the hook being at a slight angle to the plane of the top of the whifiietree it will be seen that the natural tendency of such portion is to force and hold the tug back from the end of the whiftletree. Thus it will be seen that we provide a cheap and simple but very effective tug-holder.

To detach the tug from the whiffletree, it is only necessary to slide the same back from the end of the whiffletree until it is free from the portion 3 of the holder, when the holder may be raised by hand and the tug be free to be detached.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with a whiffletree of a flat tapered spring bent at its free end downward, then inward at an angle to the top plane of the whiffletree.

BENTON sooT'r. \VILLIAM S. BENTON.

'Witnesses:

JOHN R. THOMBUGH, FLOSSIE MASON. 

